Association of E23K (rs5219) polymorphism in the KCNJ11 gene with type 2 diabetes mellitus risk in Jordanian population

Background: The E23K (rs5219) polymorphism in the potassium channel inward-rectifying subfamily J member 11 (KCNJ11) gene has been implicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in several previous studies. However, contradictory findings observing a lack of association between this polymorphism and T2DM were also documented. For that reason, we investigated the E23K (rs5219) polymorphism relation to T2DM among Jordanians, analyzed its genotypic and allelic frequencies, and compared them with the findings among other populations.Methods: The current study included 358 cases with T2DM and 326 controls without T2DM. The E23K (rs5219) polymorphism was genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique.Results: According to our findings, The E23K (rs5219) polymorphism was associated with T2DM susceptibility in Jordanians. The risk of developing T2DM was greater among the K allele carriers compared to the E allele carriers [P < 0.001]. Furthermore, T2DM was more common among those with the KK genotype than among those with the EE genotype [P: 0.008] after adjusting for gender, age, and body mass index. Based on the dominant model, both KK and EK genotypes showed an increased risk of T2DM than the EE genotype [P < 0.001] after adjusting for gender, age, and body mass index.Conclusions: The polymorphism E23K (rs5219) is associated with susceptibility to T2DM in Jordanians.